Impulsive transfer strategies along stable periodic orbit families

This paper describes some impulsive transfer strategies that generalize the classic Hohmann transfers and allow us to robustly guide a spacecraft along stable, natural families of periodic orbits. Such families often represent a safe and stable pathway from different regimes of motion in an otherwise unstable orbital environment. The proposed strategies thus ensure strong stability and recovery proper-ties of spacecraft transfers for risk sensitive missions. As a result, this research should be useful for missions planning with constraining back-up options requirements. Examples of transfers along distant retrograde families in the neighborhood of the Jupiter's moon Europa are considered.